South Haven gas station clerk to be arraigned on charges he filmed women in restroom

SOUTH HAVEN — A South Haven gas station clerk who police say used his cellular phone to record women using the business’ restroom was scheduled to appear in court today to answer to two felony charges, authorities said.

The Van Buren County man, who is in his late teens, was charged last Thursday by the Van Buren County Prosecutor’s Office with two counts of capturing/distributing an image of an unclothed person, said Detective Darin Mentink, of the South Haven Police Department.

The felony charge is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Mentink declined Tuesday to release the man’s name or age, pending his arraignment today in Van Buren County District Court in South Haven.

Mentink said the man was scheduled to turn himself in to police today prior to his court hearing.

Mentink has said police began investigating the man, who was terminated from his job at the gas station, on July 29 when the manager of a local Marathon station came to authorities with a cellular phone she found hidden in the ceiling tiles of the women’s restroom at the gas station.

Police analyzed the phone and found that it had been used since at least June 12 to record approximately 20 people using the restroom.

Mentink said Tuesday police have only been able to positively identify two people who were recorded using the restroom.